Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder
Many people with anxiety may not know that they have a problem other than a character flaw.
For anxiety sufferers, the labels of moody and paranoid are often attached to them. Stressful situations become difficult to deal with and they are seen as blowing things out of proportion.
Psychological Symptoms
The definition of anxiety is experiencing overwhelming thoughts of worry or fear for a period of six months or more. There are however additional symptoms for these disorders that vary from person to person dependent upon type and severity of the illness.
A short temper, irritability and impatience are common symptoms anxiety sufferers deal with along with restlessness, trouble concentrating and the inability to complete tasks or goals. Further symptoms include the inability to express thoughts coherently along with complaints of the mind going blank.
There are physical tolls the body endures as well from a person afflicted with anxiety. The person will often be constantly on the lookout for danger or tend to think of the worst possible scenarios. In these cases, people around them will usually see the sufferer as pessimistic.
Some people with anxiety may also experience agoraphobia, or fear of public spaces. This is especially the case of people with obsessive-compulsive disorders, although other anxiety disorder sufferers are prone to this problem as well, though likely to a lesser degree.
If the anxiety disorder is severe, he person may experience depression and hallucinations. In these cases, thoughts of suicide are often present.
Thoughts of worry, fear, negative feelings and irrational thoughts are persistent in those with anxiety.
Physical Symptoms
Not only is anxiety psychological, it can also affect the body physically. Often times the symptoms make it difficult to function in everyday life.
Physical symptoms include rapid heartbeat, dizziness, headaches and high blood pressure. In addition, sufferers may experience the inability to inhale a deep breath often leading to frequent spells of hyperventilation. The body can also suffer fatigue, insomnia and hyperactivity.
As the body is exposed to excessive amounts of adrenaline from a person suffering with anxiety, this person may also experience muscle tension and body aches. The excess adrenaline rush is also accountable for the mood swings.
If the mind is in a constant state of worry, the body will experience other symptoms as well including loss of appetite, nausea, diahrrea, frequent urination and excessive thirst. In some cases, it was reported that a decrease in sex drive was also experienced.
Other Anxiety Symptoms
However, not all anxiety disorder sufferers have the same symptoms. In fact, some show signs that contradict the symptoms mentioned above. These symptoms usually take place when anxiety levels become very high. For example, these symptoms may occur for a person with SAD when he or she is in a gathering of strangers.
One symptom is excessively low blood pressure. This reaction does not allow the proper oxygen and nutrient levels to get to the brain.
Other anxiety sufferers have reported a heightened sex drive during levels of high anxiety.
Still others with chronic anxiety report having food cravings. Often the craving is for sugar, and this may be due to the fact that blood pressure is at times chronically low in cases of severe anxiety
Funmi Salami is a featured writer on Clivir.com. She loves to share her knowledge and do so by contributing articles about Anxiety Attack Symptoms and Anxiety and Medication.